Method For Assembling A Tongue For An Article Of Footwear

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear includes a tongue. The tongue includes a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer is attached to a portion of an upper. The bottom layer is attached to the top layer at a distance that is staggered from where the top layer is attached to the upper. An intermediate layer of cushioning material is optionally provided between the top layer and the bottom layer. Alternatively, the top layer of the tongue is formed integrally from the material of a portion of the upper. The bottom layer is attached to the top layer with the optional intermediate layer of cushioning material disposed in between. The staggered attachment of the top and bottom layers of the tongue provides a smooth surface in contact with a foot of a wearer on the inside of the article of footwear and presents a stitchless visible tongue to the wearer on the outside of the article of footwear.

BACKGROUND

The current embodiment relates generally to footwear, and in particularto a method of assembling a tongue for an article of footwear.

Articles of footwear can include fastening systems such as laces, strapsand zippers. Laces are generally attached to the top of an upper, andhelp to tighten an opening around a foot. Typically, a tongue isprovided along the upper, which rests between a foot and the laces. Thetongue can help in adjusting the lacing system. The tongue can act tocover the top of the foot in the region of the opening. The tongue canalso provide comfort to the wearer from the lace or closure pressure ofthe fastening system on the foot of a wearer.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the invention includes an article of footwear comprising:an upper; a tongue, the tongue including a top layer and a bottom layer;an attachment region associated with a portion of the upper and the toplayer of the tongue; and wherein the bottom layer is attached to the toplayer of the tongue with a staggered attachment that is displaced fromthe attachment region by a distance.

In another aspect, the invention includes a method for assembling atongue for an article of footwear, comprising: providing at least aportion of an upper, the portion of the upper including a first portionconfigured to be associated with a forefoot region of the article offootwear and a second portion disposed opposite the first portion;providing a portion of a tongue, the portion of the tongue including atop layer having a front edge and a rear edge; attaching the secondportion of the upper and the front edge of the top layer of the tongueat an attachment region; and attaching a bottom layer to the top layerof the tongue, the bottom layer having a staggered attachment that isdisplaced from the attachment region by a distance.

In another aspect, the invention includes a method for assembling atongue for an article of footwear, comprising: providing an upper, theupper including a first portion configured to be associated with amajority of an exterior of the article of footwear and a second portionconfigured to be associated with a top layer of a tongue, the firstportion and the second portion being integrally formed at an attachmentregion; providing a bottom layer of the tongue, the bottom layer beinginitially separate from the upper; and attaching the bottom layer to thetop layer of the tongue, the bottom layer having a staggered attachmentthat is displaced from the attachment region by a distance.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will become,apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of thefollowing figures and detailed description. It is intended that all suchadditional systems, methods, features and advantages be included withinthis description and this summary, be within the scope of theembodiments, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of an article of footwearincluding a tongue;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of an article of footwearincluding a tongue, in which the upper and sole are shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of a portion of an upper and aportion of a tongue;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an embodiment of a portion of an upper attachedto a portion of a tongue;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of a portion of an upperincluding an attached top layer of a tongue;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a portion of an upperincluding an attached tongue with a top layer, a padding material, and aback layer;

FIG. 7 is a top down view of an embodiment of a back side of a portionof an upper including an attached assembled tongue;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an article offootwear including a tongue shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a cross-section of an embodiment of atongue;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an embodiment of an upper integrally formedwith a portion of a tongue;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of an embodiment of an upper including atongue with an integrally formed top layer, a padding material and aback layer; and

FIG. 12 is a top down view of an embodiment of a back side of an upperincluding an integrally formed tongue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate views of an embodiment of an article offootwear 100. For clarity, the following detailed description discussesan exemplary embodiment, in the form of a sports shoe, but it should benoted that the present embodiments could take the form of any article offootwear including, but not limited to: hiking boots, soccer shoes,football shoes, sneakers, rugby shoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoesas well as other kinds of shoes. Articles of footwear may also take theform of any non-athletic shoe, including, but not limited to: dressshoes, loafers, sandals, and boots. An individual skilled in therelevant art will appreciate, therefore, that the concepts disclosedherein apply to a wide variety of footwear styles, in addition to thespecific style discussed in the following material and depicted in theaccompanying figures. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, article of footwear100, also referred to simply as article 100, is intended to be used witha left foot; however, it should be understood that the followingdescription may equally apply to a mirror image of article of footwear100 that is intended for use with a right foot.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, for purposes of reference, article 100 maybe divided into forefoot region 10, midfoot region 12 and heel region14. Forefoot region 10 may be generally associated with the toes andjoints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot region 12may be generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heelregion 14 may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, includingthe calcaneus bone. In addition, article 100 may include lateral side 16and medial side 18. In particular, lateral side 16 and medial side 18may be opposing sides of article 100. Furthermore, both lateral side 16and medial side 18 may extend through forefoot region 10, midfoot region12 and heel region 14.

It will be understood that forefoot region 10, midfoot region 12 andheel region 14 are only intended for purposes of description and are notintended to demarcate precise regions of article 100. Likewise, lateralside 16 and medial side 18 are intended to represent generally two sidesof an article, rather than precisely demarcating article 100 into twohalves. In addition, forefoot region 10, midfoot region 12 and heelregion 14, as well as lateral side 16 and medial side 18, can also beapplied to individual components of an article, such as a sole structureand/or an upper.

For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives are employedthroughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustratedembodiments. The term “longitudinal” as used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims refers to a direction extending a lengthof an article. In some cases, the longitudinal direction may extend froma forefoot portion to a heel portion of the article. Also, the term“lateral” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claimsrefers to a direction extending a width of an article. In other words,the lateral direction may extend between a medial side and a lateralside of an article. Furthermore, the term “vertical” as used throughoutthis detailed description and in the claims refers to a directiongenerally perpendicular to a lateral and longitudinal direction. Forexample, in cases where an article is planted flat on a ground surface,the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. Inaddition, the term “proximal” refers to a portion of a footwearcomponent that is closer to a portion of a foot when an article offootwear is worn. Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a portion of afootwear component that is further from a portion of a foot when anarticle of footwear is worn. It will be understood that each of thesedirectional adjectives may be applied to individual components of anarticle, such as an upper and/or a sole structure.

Article 100 may include upper 102 and sole structure 110. Generally,upper 102 may be any type of upper. In particular, upper 102 may haveany design, shape, size and/or color. For example, in embodiments wherearticle 100 is a basketball shoe, upper 102 could be a high top upperthat is shaped to provide high support on an ankle. In embodiments wherearticle 100 is a running shoe, upper 102 could be a low top upper.

In some embodiments, upper 102 may be comprised of one or morecomponents. In an exemplary embodiment, upper 102 may include a vamp104. Vamp 104 may be a portion of upper 102 that is associated generallywith forefoot region 10. In other embodiments, vamp 104 also may extendinto a portion of upper 102 associated with midfoot region 12. Inanother embodiment, upper 102 may be made of additional portionsassociated with one or more of forefoot region 10, midfoot region 12,and/or heel region 14. In still other embodiments, upper 102 may be madeof a single portion comprising a substantially majority of upper 102.

In some embodiments, upper 102 may include one or more elements disposedon an outer surface of upper 102. In an exemplary embodiment, upper 102may include one or more overlay elements, including a vamp overlay 106and/or an eyelet overlay 108. In various embodiments, overlay elementsmay be attached to the outer surface of upper 102 using any knownprocess. In some embodiments, overlay elements may be disposed on theouter surface of upper 102 using one or more of the processes describedbelow.

In some embodiments, sole structure 110 may be configured to providetraction for article 100. In addition to providing traction, solestructure 110 may attenuate ground reaction forces when compressedbetween the foot and the ground during walking, running or otherambulatory activities. The configuration of sole structure 110 may varysignificantly in different embodiments to include a variety ofconventional or non-conventional structures. In some cases, theconfiguration of sole structure 110 may be configured according to oneor more types of ground surfaces on which sole structure 110 may beused. Examples of ground surfaces include, but are not limited to:natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, as well as other surfaces.

Sole structure 110 is secured to upper 102 and extends between the footand the ground when article 100 is worn. In different embodiments, solestructure 110 may include different components. For example, solestructure 110 may include an outsole, a midsole, and/or an insole. Insome cases, one or more of these components may be optional. In somecases, a midsole may be attached directly to upper 102. In other cases,a midsole may be attached to a sockliner associated with upper 102. Indifferent embodiments, a midsole may have different materialcharacteristics to provide various levels of comfort, cushioning and/orshock absorption. Examples of different materials that could be used fora midsole include, but are not limited to: foam, rubber, plastic,polymers, as well as any other kinds of materials.

In some cases, sole structure 110 may also include an outsole. Theoutsole may be configured to provide traction for sole structure 110 andarticle 100. An outsole may include one or more tread elements and/orground penetrating members such as cleats. The outsole can havedifferent material characteristics to provide varying levels of tractionwith a ground surface. Examples of different materials that could beused for an outsole include, but are not limited to: plastic, rubber,polymers as well as any other kinds of materials that are both durableand wear resistant.

In some embodiments, upper 102 further includes an opening 120 at heelregion 14 for inserting a wearer's foot into article 100, and afastening region 122. Opening 120 may be limited to heel region 14 ofarticle 100 or may extend along the top of upper 102 into, andincluding, fastening region 122. Thus, in one embodiment upper 102 maybe integrated with fastening region 122. In another embodiment fasteningregion 122 may be separately affixed to upper 102. Fastening region 122may be situated along the midfoot region 12 of upper 102 as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, or may be situated at other parts of article 100, aswould be apparent to those of skill in the art.

In some embodiments, fastening region 122 may further include lateralfastening portion 132 and medial fastening portion 134. Lateralfastening portion 132 may be disposed along a lateral edge of fasteningregion 122. Medial fastening portion 134 may be disposed along a medialedge of fastening region 122. Moreover, lateral fastening portion 132and/or medial fastening portion 134 may include provisions forassociating with a fastening system. In an exemplary embodiment, lateralfastening portion 132 and/or medial fastening portion 134 may includeeyelets for receiving portions of a lace or other fastener.

Fastening region 122 may include a fastening system for tighteningarticle 100 around a wearer's foot. Examples of different fasteningsystems that could be used within fastening region 122 include, but arenot limited to: lacing systems, strap systems as well as any other kindsof systems. Thus, fastening region 122 may be configured in a variety ofways to accommodate different types of fastening systems. In someembodiments, fastening region 122 may be provided with laces. Lacescould be any type of laces configured for use with an article offootwear.

In one embodiment, the laces may be configured to engage with fasteningregion 122. In some cases, laces may be inserted through eyeletsdisposed on lateral fastening portion 132 and/or medial fasteningportion 134 in an alternating manner. This arrangement allows fasteningregion 122, and upper 102, to be tightened by pulling on the laces. Inan exemplary embodiment, the eyelets may be associated with eyeletoverlay 108 disposed on lateral side 16 and medial side 18.

Upper 102 may further include one or more separate provisions configuredto be associated with upper 102. In some embodiments, upper 102 mayinclude a tongue 124. In some embodiments, a portion of tongue 124 maybe associated with upper 102 adjacent to fastening region 122. In anexemplary embodiment, a portion of tongue 124 may be attached to upper102. In some cases, a portion of tongue 124 may be rigidly attached onlyat a toe end of fastening region 122 that is associated with forefootregion 10 of upper 102. In an exemplary embodiment, a portion of tongue124 may be rigidly attached to vamp 104 of upper 102. In other cases,one or more portions of tongue 124 may be additionally rigidly attachedalong other portions of the fastening region 122. In still other cases,one or more portions of tongue 124 may be attached at toe end portion offastening region 122 near forefoot region 10 and along the entirety offastening region 122 extending through midfoot region 12 towards heelregion 14. Depending on the attachment of one or more portions of tongue124 to upper 102, opening 120 may be of varying sizes when tongue 124 islifted up from fastening region 122.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more overlay elements, including vampoverlay 106, may be disposed over the location where a portion of tongue124 is rigidly attached to a portion of upper 102 at the toe end portionof fastening region 122. In other embodiments, a portion of tongue 124may be configured as an integral portion of upper 102. With thesearrangements, tongue 124 may be configured to present a stitchlessvisible attachment to upper 102 when viewed by a wearer from the outsideof article of footwear 100. In other words, upper 102 will present asmooth appearance between the transition from vamp 104 to tongue 124extending through fastening region 122.

In some embodiments, tongue 124 may include additional components and/orelements disposed on an outer surface. In one embodiment, tongue 124 mayinclude a tongue overlay 136 disposed on a top end 202 of tongue 124.Top end 202 of tongue 124 is associated with opening 120 of article 100and is located opposite a front end 200 of tongue 124. Front end 200 oftongue 124 is associated with the portion of tongue 124 that is disposedcloser to forefoot region 10 than top end 202. In some embodiments,front end 200 of tongue 124 may be associated with the toe end offastening region 122. Tongue overlay 136 may include a provision forengaging with portions of a fastening system of article 100. In anexemplary embodiment, tongue overlay 136 may include one or more eyeletsor anchors that are configured to engage with laces. With thisarrangement, tongue overlay 136 may assist with keeping tongue 124disposed within fastening region 122. In other embodiments, tongueoverlay 136 is optional and may be omitted.

In some embodiments, tongue 124 may be comprised of one or morecomponents. In an exemplary embodiment, tongue 124 may include a toplayer and a bottom layer. The top layer and the bottom layer may beattached to form tongue 124 in a manner as described in the variousembodiments below. In an exemplary embodiment, the components of tongue124 may be rigidly attached using stitching. As shown in FIG. 2, astitch line 210 connecting one or more components of tongue 124 may bevisible from the outside of article of footwear 100. In an exemplaryembodiment, stitch line 210 may be disposed at a distance apart fromfront end 200 of tongue 124, as more fully described below.

In some embodiments, a tongue for an article of footwear may beassembled using a method configured to provide a smooth surface incontact with a foot of a wearer on the inside of the article of footwearand/or to present a stitchless visible tongue to the wearer on theoutside of the article of footwear. In an exemplary embodiment, a methodof using a staggered attachment to assemble a tongue for an article offootwear may be configured to provide a smooth inside surface and/or astitchless visible exterior appearance. By using a staggered attachment,stacking and bunching of seams attaching a tongue to an article that mayirritate or rub against a foot of a wearer inside the article and/orpresent an undesired appearance on exterior of the article may beavoided. FIGS. 3 through 7 illustrate an exemplary process forassembling a tongue to be attached to a portion of an upper using astaggered attachment to present a smooth inside surface and/or astitchless visible exterior appearance.

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of an upper and a portion of a tongue thatmay be assembled together using the process described herein to form atongue with a staggered attachment. In an exemplary embodiment, theprocess may include providing a portion of an upper and a portion of atongue for attachment to each other. In some cases, the portion of theupper and the portion of the tongue may be formed from separatematerials using processes known to one in the art. In other cases, theportion of the upper and the portion of the tongue may be formed asindividual pieces from the same or similar materials.

In this embodiment, the portion of the upper is a vamp 300. Vamp 300 mayinclude a toe portion 302 associated with the toe area of forefootregion 10 of article 100, a medial portion 304 associated with medialside 18 of article 100, and a lateral portion 306 associated withlateral side 16 of article 100. In this embodiment, vamp 300 may form amajority or substantially all of the portion of the upper that isassociated with forefoot region 10 and/or portions of midfoot region 12.In other embodiments, however, vamp 300 and/or the portion of the uppermay include additional or different components, including in some cases,components forming a substantially majority of the upper extendingthrough forefoot region 10, midfoot region 12, and/or heel region 14.

Vamp 300 may further include a cut-out portion 308. Cut-out portion 308may be associated with an end of vamp 300 opposite toe portion 302. Insome embodiments, cut-out portion 308 may be configured to form part ofthe fastening region of article 100. In an exemplary embodiment, cut-outportion 308 may be associated with a portion of a tongue. In thisembodiment, a top layer 310 of a tongue may be configured to be attachedto vamp 300. Top layer 310 may be a first piece of material that mayform an outer or exterior surface of an assembled tongue. Top layer 310may act as a cover for one or more inner layers. Inner layers may beconfigured to provide cushioning along the top of a foot. In someembodiments, top layer 310 could comprise a substantially similarmaterial to the material used in constructing the upper.

In this embodiment, top layer 310 may have a front edge 312 that isconfigured to be associated with vamp 300 and a rear edge 318 that isconfigured to be located near opening 120 of article 100 near heelregion 14. Top layer 310 may also include a medial edge 314 that isconfigured to be associated with medial side 18 of article 100 and alateral edge 316 that is configured to be associated with lateral side16 of article 100. In an exemplary embodiment, top layer 310 may have agenerally elongated trapezoidal shape with the dimensions of front edge312 being associated with a narrower or smaller width than thedimensions of rear edge 318. In other embodiments, top layer 310 mayhave any shape, including, but not limited to rectangular, elliptical,triangular, as well as any other regular or irregular shape.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a portion of an upper that has beenattached to a portion of a tongue. In this embodiment, top layer 310 isrigidly attached to vamp 300. In an exemplary embodiment, top layer 310may be rigidly attached to vamp 300 using stitching 400. Generally,stitching 400 may be any kind of stitching that may be used toaccomplish the attachment of top layer 310 to vamp 300. In some cases,simple stitches may be used. In other cases, more complex stitches maybe used. Examples of various stitches that may be used include, but arenot limited to: backstitches, basting stitches, blind stitches,buttonhole stitches, chain stitches, cross-stitches, embroiderystitches, feather stitches, hemming stitches, lock stitches, paddingstitches, running stitches, serge stitches, slip stitches, stretchstitches, top stitches, whip stitches, zigzag stitches as well as anyother types of machine or manual stitches. In this embodiment, stitching400 is a serge stitch.

In some embodiments, top layer 310 may be attached to vamp 300 at anattachment region. In an exemplary embodiment, the attachment region maycorrespond approximately to a portion of vamp 300 that is at or nearcut-out portion 308. In some cases, front edge 312 of top layer 310 maybe attached to a portion of vamp 300 at the attachment region that isdisplaced a distance from cut-out portion 308 in the direction of toeportion 302. In other cases, front edge 312 of top layer 310 may beattached adjacent to, or along, the edge of cut-out portion 308 at theattachment region. In this embodiment, front edge 312 may be attached tovamp 300 at the attachment region using stitching 400. Stitching 400 maysecure top layer 310 to vamp 300 in such a way so as to form a livehinge. With this arrangement, top layer 310 may be configured to allowthe assembled tongue to pivot or move within fastening region 122 ofarticle 100. In other embodiments, other methods may be used to attachtop layer 310 to vamp 300, including, but not limited to adhesives,other types of stitching, as described above, as well as other permanentor nonpermanent attachment mechanisms.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an assembly 500 that includes a vamp attachedwith a top layer of a tongue is shown. In some embodiments, one or moreoverlay elements may be attached to assembly 500. In an exemplaryembodiment, overlay elements may be attached to portions of assembly500, including vamp 300 and/or top layer 310 of the tongue. In somecases, overlay elements, including vamp overlay 106 and/or tongueoverlay 136, may be heat pressed to one or more portions of assembly500, including vamp 300 and /or top layer 310 of the tongue. With a heatpress application, hot melt adhesive, including, but not limited to athermoplastic polymer, may be used to attach the overlay elements to theouter surface of portions of vamp 300 and/or top layer 310. In othercases, overlay elements, including vamp overlay 106 and/or tongueoverlay 136, may be stitched to one or more portions of assembly 500. Instill other cases, other methods may be used to attach an overlayelement to a portion of assembly 500 and/or an upper, including, but notlimited to adhesives and/or stitching, as described above, as well asother permanent or nonpermanent attachment mechanisms, including one ormore attachment mechanisms used in combination.

In an exemplary embodiment, the process of applying the overlay elementsusing a heat pressing technique may include aligning the overlayelements over assembly 500 where the overlay elements are desired. Insome embodiments, the location of one or more of the overlay elementsmay be configured to assist with providing the stitchless visibleexterior appearance and/or engaging with a fastening system. In anexemplary embodiment, vamp overlay 106 may be located on assembly 500 soas to substantially cover stitching 400 attaching top layer 310 to vamp300. With this arrangement, assembly 500 may present a smooth appearancebetween the transition from vamp 300 to top layer 310 of the tongue onarticle 100.

In some cases, a jig or a pattern may be used to align the overlayelements with the portion of assembly 500. In some cases, the overlayelements may be temporarily attached to assembly 500, for example byusing pins or a tacky material to hold the overlay elements in place.Generally, assembly 500 may be laid flat together with the overlayelements in an apparatus that applies heat and/or pressure. The appliedheat and/or pressure may melt the adhesive disposed on the overlayelements to attach the overlay elements to assembly 500 at the desiredlocations. With this arrangement, vamp overlay 106 and/or tongue overlay136 may be attached to portions of assembly 500, including vamp 300and/or top layer 310 of the tongue.

In an exemplary embodiment, eyelet overlay 108, discussed above, may beattached to portions of upper 102 associated with lateral fasteningportion 132 and/or medial fastening portion 134 using a similar heatpressing technique. In addition, a similar process may be used to attachadditional overlay elements to other portions of article 100, includingother portions of upper 102.

In other embodiments, one or more overlay elements, including vampoverlay 106, tongue overlay 136, and/or eyelet overlay 108, as well asany other overlay elements, may be applied to portions of upper 102using a screening process. With a screening process, layers of overlaymaterial, including, but not limited to rubber, plastic, polymers, orother materials, may be applied to the outer surface of portions ofupper 102. The screening process may be repeated multiple times toachieve an overlay element with a desired thickness. In addition, thescreening process may be used to apply graphic elements and/or tactileelements to portions of upper 102.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an exploded view of components of the tongueare shown being configured for attachment to assembly 500. In someembodiments, a process for assembling components of a tongue may beassembled using a staggered attachment to present a smooth insidesurface and/or a stitchless visible exterior appearance on article 100.In an exemplary embodiment, one or more components of a tongue may beprovided for attachment with top layer 310 that has been attached tovamp 300 to form assembly 500, as described above. In one embodiment,the components for forming the tongue may include a bottom layer 600.Bottom layer 600 may be configured to be attached to top layer 310 toform an assembled tongue. In some embodiments, an inside surface ofbottom layer 600 may be associated with an interior of article 100. Theinside surface of bottom layer 600 may be configured to be in contactwith a foot of a wearer when disposed within the interior of article100.

Bottom layer 600 may include a proximal edge 602 disposed in a directionassociated with forefoot region 10 of article 100. Bottom layer 600 mayinclude a distal edge 604 located opposite proximal edge 602 anddisposed in a direction associated with opening 120 of article 100 nearheel region 14. Bottom layer 600 may further include a lateral edge anda medial edge disposed around the perimeter of bottom layer 600 betweenproximal edge 602 and distal edge 604. In an exemplary embodiment,bottom layer 600 may be configured with a similar shape as top layer310. In this embodiment, bottom layer 600 may be associated with agenerally elongated trapezoidal shape, with the dimensions of proximaledge 602 being associated with a narrower or smaller width than thedimensions of distal edge 604. In other embodiments, bottom layer 600may have a dissimilar shape from top layer 310. In various embodiments,bottom layer 600 may have any shape, including, but not limited torectangular, elliptical, triangular, as well as any other regular orirregular shape.

In some embodiments, the components of the tongue may include anintermediate layer 610. Intermediate layer 610 may be provided betweentop layer 310 and bottom layer 600. In some embodiments, intermediatelayer 610 may be a cushioning material configured to provide padding tothe assembled tongue. Cushioning material may include foam, rubber,plastic, or other padding material. In different embodiments, thethickness of cushioning material disposed in intermediate layer 610 mayvary. In some embodiments, the thickness of intermediate layer 610 mayvary according to the amount of cushioning required. In particular,regions of increased thickness may provide increased cushioning, whileregions of reduced thickness may provide less cushioning. In addition,in this embodiment, intermediate layer 610 may be associated with ashape that is similar to top layer 310 and/or bottom layer 600. In otherembodiments, however, intermediate layer 610 may have any shape,including, but not limited to rectangular, elliptical, triangular, aswell as any other regular or irregular shape. In an exemplaryembodiment, the dimensions associated with intermediate layer 610 may beconfigured to be smaller than top layer 310 and/or bottom layer 600 sothat intermediate layer 610 may fit within the assembled tongue.

In an exemplary embodiment, a process for assembling the components ofthe tongue may use a staggered attachment to attach bottom layer 600and/or intermediate layer 610 to top layer 310 to form the assembledtongue. Referring now to FIG. 7, a back side 700 of an exemplaryembodiment of a portion of an upper including an assembled tongue thatis attached using a staggered attachment is shown. In this embodiment,back side 700 of assembly 500 is shown with an assembled tongue thatincludes bottom layer 600 attached to top layer 310. In some cases,intermediate layer 610 may be disposed between top layer 310 and bottomlayer 600 within the assembled tongue.

In some embodiments, bottom layer 600 may be attached to top layer 310using an attachment that is staggered from the attachment regionassociated with top layer 310 and the portion of the upper. In anexemplary embodiment, the attachment region may be stitching 400, asdescribed above, attaching top layer 310 to the vamp to form assembly500. In an alternate embodiment, the attachment region may be associatedwith a top layer of a tongue formed integral with an upper, as morefully described in the alternate embodiments below. In otherembodiments, the attachment region may be associated with any type ofrigid or removable connection between a portion of the tongue and aportion of the upper that anchors one end of the tongue in place to theupper.

In some embodiments, bottom layer 600 may be rigidly attached to toplayer 310 to form the assembled tongue using stitching. The stitchingthat rigidly attaches top layer 310 and bottom layer 600 to each othermay be simple stitches or complex stitches, including any of the typesof stitches described above. In an exemplary embodiment, a row stitchmay be used. As shown in FIG. 7, bottom layer 600 may be rigidlyattached to top layer 310 using a row stitch that extends around theperimeter of top layer 310 and bottom layer 600. In this embodiment, therow stitch includes a back stitch portion 702, a front stitch portion704, a lateral side stitch portion 706, and a medial side stitch portion708.

In an exemplary embodiment, front stitch portion 704 may be used torigidly attach proximal edge 602 of bottom layer 600 to top layer 310 ata distance that is staggered from front edge 312 of top layer 310. Inthis embodiment, front stitch portion 704 attaches bottom layer 600 totop layer 310 at a first distance D1 from the attachment region wherefront edge 312 of top layer 310 is attached to the vamp using stitching400. In some embodiments, first distance D1 may be from 5 mm to 30 mm.In other embodiments, first distance D1 may be larger than 30 mm. Instill other embodiments, first distance D1 may be smaller than 5 mm.With this arrangement, front stitch portion 704 may be staggered fromstitching 400 by first distance D1 to prevent stacking and bunching ofthe stitches and to present a smooth inside surface on back side 700 ofassembly 500. In addition, this staggered attachment may also assistwith presenting a stitchless visible exterior appearance on article 100.In various embodiments, first distance D1 associated with the staggeredattachment of the bottom layer 600 to top layer 310 may be varied basedon the type of article, the size of article, the materials associatedwith one or more portions of the article, including top layer 310,bottom layer 600, and/or upper 102, as well as other factors.

In some embodiments, back stitch portion 702 may be used to rigidlyattach distal edge 604 of bottom layer 600 near or adjacent to rear edge318 of top layer 310. In this embodiment, back stitch portion 702 mayrigidly attach distal edge 604 of bottom layer 600 a second distance D2from rear edge 318 of top layer 310. In an exemplary embodiment, seconddistance D2 is substantially smaller than first distance D1. In otherembodiments, second distance D2 may be negligible and back stitchportion 702 may rigidly attach bottom layer 600 and top layer 310 alongdistal edge 604 and rear edge 318. Similarly, lateral side stitchportion 706 and/or medial side stitch portion 708 may be used to rigidlyattach lateral and/or medial edges of bottom layer 600 near or adjacentto lateral edge 316 and/or medial edge 314 of top layer 310.

In some embodiments, once bottom layer 600 and top layer 310 have beenrigidly attached using the method described herein to form the assembledtongue, assembly 500 may be then combined with one or more additionalcomponents to form the assembled article 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2described above. In an exemplary embodiment, assembly 500 may includevamp and an assembled tongue that is then attached to a portion of anupper to form upper 102. In addition, one or more overlay elements maybe provided on upper 102 as described above. The upper 102 may then beattached to sole structure 110 using any method known in the art tocomplete article 100.

While the embodiments herein have been described as being rigidlyattached using stitching, in different embodiments, other methods ofattaching one or more portions of the upper, including the vamp, toportions of the tongue, including a top layer of the tongue, may beused, including, but not limited to various types of adhesives or otherattachment mechanisms. In addition, the method of assembling thecomponents of the tongue have been described above in a particularorder, however, in other embodiments, the order of assembly may bevaried. For example, in some cases, a bottom layer of a tongue may beattached to a portion of an upper and a top layer of the tongue may beattached to the combined assembly. In other cases, the top layer and thebottom layer of the tongue may be attached using the methods describedherein to form the assembled tongue and the assembled tongue may beattached to the portion of the upper.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, article 100, including tongue 124assembled using the process described above in reference to FIGS. 3through 7, is shown in cross section. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, toplayer 310 of tongue 124 may be attached to upper 102 at an attachmentregion that includes stitching 400 to rigidly attach front end 200 oftongue 124 to vamp 104. In this embodiment, front end 200 of tongue 124may abut against the edge of vamp 104 at the attachment region. In otherembodiments, front end 200 of tongue 124 may be disposed on top of, oroverlapping, vamp 104 at the attachment region.

In some embodiments, front stitch portion 704 may be used to rigidlyattach bottom layer 600 to top layer 310 at a distance that is staggeredfrom stitching 400. Front stitch portion 704 may extend through toplayer 310 to appear on the exterior surface as stitch line 210.Similarly, back stitch portion 702 may be used to rigidly attach bottomlayer 600 near or adjacent to rear edge 318 of top layer 310. In someembodiments, intermediate layer 610 may be disposed between top layer310 and bottom layer 600 to provide cushioning to tongue 124.

In an exemplary embodiment, vamp overlay 106 may be provided on upper102 in a location corresponding to the attachment region between toplayer 310 and vamp 104. In this embodiment, vamp overlay 106 covers allor substantially all of stitching 400. In cases where vamp overlay 106is attached using a hot melt adhesive, adhesive material may penetrateinto one or more of vamp 104, top layer 310 and/or stitching 400 toattach vamp overlay 106 to upper 102. In cases where vamp overlay isattached using a screening process, material may be deposited in one ormore layers directly onto one or more of vamp 104, top layer 310 and/orstitching 400 to form vamp overlay 106 on upper 102. With thisarrangement, the staggered attachment between stitching 400 and frontstitch portion 704, together with optional vamp overlay, may present asmooth inside surface and/or a stitchless visible exterior appearance onarticle 100. In addition, in cases where laces are associated with thefastening region, the stitchless visible exterior appearance may befurther enhanced.

In an alternate embodiment, an upper or a portion of an upper may beintegrally formed with a portion of a tongue. FIGS. 10 through 12illustrate an alternate process for assembling a tongue that has aportion of the tongue formed integrally from the material of a portionof the upper to present a stitchless visible appearance. Referring nowto FIG. 10, an upper assembly 800 may include an upper 802 that isformed with an integral tongue top layer 804. In an exemplaryembodiment, upper assembly 800 may include a piece of material that isformed with integral tongue top layer 804. In this embodiment, integraltongue top layer 804 may extend from an attachment region associatedwith upper 802 to a top edge 806 associated with an opening near a heelregion of the article.

In this embodiment, upper assembly 800 may comprise a substantialmajority or substantially all of an upper for an article. Upper assembly800 may include a toe end 808 that is configured to be associated with aforefoot region of an article. Upper assembly may also include a lateralheel end 816 and a medial heel end 814 that are configured to beassociated with a heel region of an article. In an exemplary embodiment,lateral heel end 816 and medial heel end 814 may be attached to eachother at the heel region of the article.

In some embodiments, upper assembly 800 may include one or moreprovisions for associating with a fastening system. In an exemplaryembodiment, upper assembly 800 may include integrated eyelets, includinglateral eyelets 810 and medial eyelets 812, that are disposed within thematerial of upper assembly 800. Lateral eyelets 810 and/or medialeyelets 812 may be configured to engage with laces for tightening anarticle. In other embodiments, upper assembly 800 may include one ormore overlay elements disposed on portions of upper assembly, asdescribed above.

Referring now to FIG. 11, an exploded view of components of the tongueare shown being configured for attachment to upper assembly 800. In someembodiments, a process for assembling components of a tongue may beassembled using a staggered attachment to present a smooth insidesurface and/or a stitchless visible exterior appearance on an article.In an exemplary embodiment, one or more components of a tongue may beprovided for attachment with integral tongue top layer 804 of upperassembly 800. In one embodiment, the components for forming theassembled tongue may include a bottom layer 900. Bottom layer 900 may beconfigured to be attached to integral tongue top layer 804 to form anassembled tongue. In some embodiments, an inside surface of bottom layer900 may be associated with an interior of an article. The inside surfaceof bottom layer 900 may be configured to be in contact with a foot of awearer when disposed within the interior of the article.

Bottom layer 900 may be similar to bottom layer 600, described above. Inan exemplary embodiment, bottom layer 900 may be configured with asimilar shape as a portion of integral tongue top layer 804. In thisembodiment, bottom layer 900 may be associated with a generallyelongated trapezoidal shape. In other embodiments, bottom layer 900 mayhave a dissimilar shape from integral tongue top layer 804. In variousembodiments, bottom layer 900 may have any shape, including, but notlimited to rectangular, elliptical, triangular, as well as any otherregular or irregular shape.

In some embodiments, the components of the tongue may further include anintermediate layer 902. Intermediate layer 902 may be similar tointermediate layer 610, described above. In this embodiment,intermediate layer 902 may be provided between integral tongue top layer804 and bottom layer 900. In an exemplary embodiment, the dimensionsassociated with intermediate layer 902 may be configured to be smallerthan integral tongue top layer 804 and/or bottom layer 900 so thatintermediate layer 902 may fit within the assembled tongue.

In an exemplary embodiment, a process for assembling the components ofthe tongue may use a staggered attachment to attach bottom layer 900and/or intermediate layer 902 to integral tongue top layer 804 to formthe assembled tongue. The process for using the staggered attachment maybe similar to the process described above with regard to the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 3 through 7. Referring now to FIG. 12, a back side 1000of an exemplary embodiment of an upper including an integral tongue toplayer that is assembled using a staggered attachment is shown. In thisembodiment, back side 1000 of upper assembly 800 is shown with anassembled tongue that includes bottom layer 900 attached to integraltongue top layer 804. In some cases, intermediate layer 902 may bedisposed between integral tongue top layer 804 and bottom layer 900within the assembled tongue.

In some embodiments, bottom layer 900 may be attached to integral tonguetop layer 804 using an attachment that is staggered from the attachmentregion associated with integral tongue top layer 804 and upper 802. Inan exemplary embodiment, the attachment region may the region of upperassembly 800 where upper 802 transitions to integral tongue top layer804, as described above.

In some embodiments, bottom layer 900 may be rigidly attached tointegral tongue top layer 804 to form the assembled tongue usingstitching. In an exemplary embodiment, stitching may be similar to anykind of stitching described above in regard to attaching top layer 310and bottom layer 600 to each other. As shown in FIG. 12, bottom layer900 may be rigidly attached to integral tongue top layer 804 using astitch that extends around the perimeter of integral tongue top layer804 and bottom layer 900. In this embodiment, the stitch includes a backstitch portion 1002, a front stitch portion 1004, a lateral side stitchportion 1006, and a medial side stitch portion 1008.

In an exemplary embodiment, front stitch portion 1004 may be used torigidly attach a proximal edge of bottom layer 900 to integral tonguetop layer 804 at a distance that is staggered from the attachmentregion. In this embodiment, front stitch portion 1004 attaches bottomlayer 900 to integral tongue top layer 804 at a third distance D3 fromthe attachment region associated with integral tongue top layer 804 andupper 802. In some embodiments, third distance D3 may be similar tofirst distance D1, described above. In an exemplary embodiment, thirddistance D3 may be smaller than first distance D1. With thisarrangement, front stitch portion 1004 may be staggered from theattachment region by third distance D3 to present a smooth insidesurface on back side 1000 of upper assembly 800. In addition, thisstaggered attachment may also assist with presenting a stitchlessvisible exterior appearance on an article. In various embodiments, thirddistance D3 may be varied as described above in reference to firstdistance D1.

In some embodiments, back stitch portion 1002 may be used to rigidlyattach a distal edge of bottom layer 900 near or adjacent to top edge806 of integral tongue top layer 804. In an exemplary embodiment, backstitch portion 1002, lateral side stitch portion 1006, and/or medialside stitch portion 1008 may rigidly attach portions of bottom layer 900to portions of integral tongue top layer 804, as described above withreference to the stitching attaching bottom layer 600 and top layer 310.

In some embodiments, once bottom layer 900 and integral tongue top layer804 have been rigidly attached using the method described herein to formthe assembled tongue, upper assembly 800 may be then combined with oneor more additional components to form an assembled article, similar toarticle 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Generally, any materials known in the art for use with footwear can beused with the tongues discussed above. Examples of materials include,but are not limited to: plastic, foam, fabric, canvas, leather, wood,rubber, metal as well as any other materials known in the art.

While various embodiments of the have been described, the description isintended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments andimplementations are possible. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to berestricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope ofthe attached claims.

1. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a tongue, the tongueincluding a top layer and a bottom layer; an attachment regionassociated with a portion of the upper and the top layer of the tongue;and wherein the bottom layer is attached to the top layer of the tonguewith a staggered attachment that is displaced from the attachment regionby a distance.
 2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, whereinthe attachment region comprises the top layer of the tongue beingintegrally formed with the portion of the upper.
 3. The article offootwear according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the uppercomprises substantially all of the upper.
 4. The article of footwearaccording to claim 1, wherein the attachment region comprises the toplayer of the tongue attached to the portion of the upper.
 5. The articleof footwear according to claim 4, wherein the portion of the uppercomprises a vamp.
 6. The article of footwear according to claim 4,wherein the top layer of the tongue is attached to the portion of theupper using stitching.
 7. The article of footwear according to claim 1,wherein an overlay element is disposed on the attachment region.
 8. Thearticle of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the tongue furthercomprises an intermediate layer disposed between the top layer and thebottom layer.
 9. A method for assembling a tongue for an article offootwear, comprising: providing at least a portion of an upper, theportion of the upper including a first portion configured to beassociated with a forefoot region of the article of footwear and asecond portion disposed opposite the first portion; providing a portionof a tongue, the portion of the tongue including a top layer having afront edge and a rear edge; attaching the second portion of the upperand the front edge of the top layer of the tongue at an attachmentregion; and attaching a bottom layer to the top layer of the tongue, thebottom layer having a staggered attachment that is displaced from theattachment region by a distance.
 10. The method according to claim 9,further comprising attaching the bottom layer to the top layer along therear edge of the top layer.
 11. The method according to claim 10,wherein the step of attaching the bottom layer to the top layer furthercomprises: stitching the bottom layer to the top layer at a firstdistance from the front edge; and stitching the bottom layer to the toplayer at a second distance from the rear edge.
 12. The method accordingto claim 11, wherein the first distance is larger than the seconddistance.
 13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the front edge ofthe top layer of the tongue is attached to the second portion of theupper using stitching.
 14. The method according to claim 9, furthercomprising: providing at least one overlay element; aligning the atleast one overlay element over the attachment region; and applying heatto the at least one overlay element to attach the overlay element to theportion of the upper and the top layer at the attachment region.
 15. Themethod according to claim 9, further comprising disposing anintermediate layer between the bottom layer and the top layer.
 16. Amethod for assembling a tongue for an article of footwear, comprising:providing an upper, the upper including a first portion configured to beassociated with a majority of an exterior of the article of footwear anda second portion configured to be associated with a top layer of atongue, the first portion and the second portion being integrally formedat an attachment region; providing a bottom layer of the tongue, thebottom layer being initially separate from the upper; and attaching thebottom layer to the top layer of the tongue, the bottom layer having astaggered attachment that is displaced from the attachment region by adistance.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprisingattaching the bottom layer to the top layer along a rear edge of the toplayer.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step ofattaching the bottom layer to the top layer further comprises: stitchingthe bottom layer to the top layer at a first distance from theattachment region; and stitching the bottom layer to the top layer at asecond distance from the rear edge.
 19. The method according to claim18, wherein the first distance is larger than the second distance. 20.The method according to claim 16, further comprising disposing anintermediate layer between the top layer and the bottom layer.